Take Care of Them
by Lialane Graest
Summary: Franken Stein died to make sure that Marie and his unborn child could live. Someone has stepped into his place to take care of them, to protect them and give them the life that Stein would have wanted them to have. Dedicated to boob tube watcher3452.
1. Chapter 1

He held her hand as she screamed in pain, her feet in stirrups and a strange man looking up her hospital gown. He felt the woman's grip threatening to break the bones in his hands, but he didn't pull away from her. He didn't let go of her hand, wrapping his fingers gently around the back of her hand as another contraction hit her.

"Don't worry, Marie. I'm here, I'm right here, just keep pushing for the doctor, can you do that?" He said soothingly, his free hand brushing her sweat soaked hair out of her face. The only answers that she gave him were panting gasps of agony, and he felt his face contort into a brief smile. "Regretting the decision to go without pain killers?"

"My mother gave birth naturally, my grandmother did. And so on, and so on. I'm a deathscythe, damnit, I can do this!" Marie rasped out in between the contractions that were coming faster and faster, her hold on the man's hand tightening as her back arched.

"Push once more, it's almost over Ms. Mjolnir." The doctor's muffled voice came from between the woman's trembling legs.

"One…. More!" Marie nearly shrieked as she felt an immense weight fall out of her. She collapsed back and lay there panting after it was all over. The doctor smiled as he placed the silver haired child in her arms, and Marie, exhausted as she was, pulled her shirt aside to let the newborn suckle.

"Have you two decided on a name for him?" The doctor said, looking up at the two individuals.

"Franken… Franken Albarn." Marie said quietly, Spirit squeezing her shoulder. Both stared down at the small baby that was suckling at her breast and smiled. A weak hand reached up to Spirit's face and she smiled up at him.

"Thank you, Spirit. Thank you."

He pressed his lips against her forehead; looking down at the child he would start the adoption papers for in the morning. _"Oh, Stein. He's gorgeous. I wish you could have been here to see it."_

But Stein never would see his only child. Five months ago, when Marie was only four months pregnant and no one knew but him and her they had gone on a mission. The witch had been able to tell, somehow, that Marie was pregnant, and before they could engage had ambushed them.

Stein had to choose, Marie and his unborn child or himself. He stepped in front of the attack meant for Marie, taking the brunt of it. Once she transformed the witch had continued focusing on the weapon, forcing Stein to more and more reckless maneuvers.

The attack that finished the witch also finished Stein, the meister hitting his knees with blood pouring from multiple wounds even as the witch discorporated and her soul was left hanging in the air above where the body had been. Marie had hit the ground beside him.

They had found her holding his cold body when they arrived. Nygus had had to hold the distraught woman back as Sid and Spirit carried Stein's body and soul back to the vehicle for transportation to Shibusen. Her wails didn't stop until she had cried herself to sleep beside Stein's body. It was the next day that the news had been spilled about her pregnancy.

Spirit didn't let himself sigh, knowing that this was a happy occasion for Marie. She had a piece of Stein back now, the family that she had wanted, if not with the person that she had imagined. Ignoring the sorrow he felt at the loss of his best friend Spirit forced himself to smile, his hand squeezing Marie's shoulder as Franken drifted off to sleep, cradled against his mother's chest.

The image of Stein's head resting against Marie's chest flashed through Spirit's mind and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to banish the image.

* * *

**A/N: Well, this is inspired by boob tube watcher3452, so it is dedicated to boob. (If this bothers you that I've started this, let me know and I'll delete it! Not wanting to step on your toes, just thought you'd like it ^_^) More to come, of course. This was just a fast bit done before bed :)  
**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	2. Chapter 2

Marie lay asleep in bed, Franken in a cradle against the wall on her side of the bed. Her blonde hair was spilled gracelessly over the pillow, some of it cascading haphazardly onto Spirit's. The red headed death scythe looked down at the album he had and sighed. He was stopped on the page that held the picture of their graduation day. Everyone was present- Azusa, Sid, Nygus, himself, Stein and Marie, along with a ton of others, most death scythes or three star meisters now.

Or dead.

Marie reached out in her sleep, and Spirit unconsciously slipped his hand backwards to catch hers. Her grip tightened for a moment on his before relaxing again into sleep. Her voice was quiet and he barely heard it, but what he did hear twisted his heart. He loved Marie, would do anything for her.

But she still loved Stein, and her slip just then of calling him Franken tore him to pieces. In her dreams it wasn't him that held her, he wasn't the one that loved her. It was still Stein. He slid out of the bed quietly, moving away from the two sleeping individuals, and dressed quietly. It was early for him to go into work, but Shinigami-sama would be there regardless, and right now, he needed the time to himself.

'_Don't be stupid, Spirit. You just filed the papers to adopt Franken. Marie loves you or she wouldn't be with you right now.'_ Spirit slipped on his suit jacket and sighed. _'I know she loved Stein more than anything- she's still grieving, in her own way.'_

* * *

Spirit stood beside Shinigami-sama, watching the events through the mirror. The death scythe had his hands in his pockets, his head bowed almost to where he couldn't see what the mirror was showing. With a wave of his hand Shinigami-sama dismissed the image and looked finally at his death scythe.

"Spirit-kun, you're early. What's-a-matta?" The being asked, his happy voice sounding like he was talking to a toddler.

"It's nothing, Shinigami-sama. I just couldn't sleep and didn't want to disturb Marie and Franken."

The being looked at him quizzically, his head tilted to the side. "Franken?"

"Marie's son. She named him Franken, after Stein." Spirit explained.

"Well, congratulations are in order! You both shouldn't be coming in, I mean, you'll be wanting to spend time with Marie and your son!" Shinigami-sama clapped Spirit on the back.

"He's Stein's." Spirit said before he could stop himself.

"Ah, well, he needs a father, and you're already taking care of Marie, yes?"

"I filed the adoption papers today and Marie gave him my last name." Spirit said quietly.

"Then why so glum, Spirit-kun?" A table and some tea appeared in front of them and Shinigami-sama motioned the death scythe over to join him.

"I'm not glum, sir." Spirit said, sitting down cross legged but not taking any tea.

"You only "sir" me when something's on your mind, Spirit-kun." Shinigami-sama said gently.

It was obvious that Spirit was warring with himself and suddenly he sighed and looked up at Shinigami-sama. "Do you have anything stronger than tea?"

Shinigami-sama cocked his head but an instant later some sake appeared on the table, along with two shot glasses. Spirit poured for them, downed a shot and shook his head. He poured himself a second shot and spun the glass around for a second before starting.

"It's Marie; she's still not over Stein. I can understand wanting to call her son Franken, but she called me Franken this morning. It's not the first time it has happened either." Spirit threw the shot back and winced a bit as it burned going down. "I love her, damnit! But I know I'm not her first choice."

Shinigami-sama matched his death scythe shot for shot, the sake bottle never going empty. Eventually Spirit had told the total of the tale to him.

"Spirit-kun, she's grieving. She'd give anything to have him back and you know that. But she has you, and you make her happy. She gave her son _your_ last name, even though the two of you aren't married and it would seem that you have no plans on marrying her. You said that you're adopting Franken as your own? Marie-chan wouldn't allow that if she didn't love you too, Spirit-kun."

Spirit looked glumly at his now empty shot glass. "You're right, you know."

Shinigami-sama chuckled. "I didn't tell you anything that you didn't already know, Spirit-kun."

"I just hate to see her unhappy. I love her… but if I could bring her Stein back, I would." Spirit said.

Shinigami-sama remained quiet for a moment. Softly he finally responded, "That's… impossible, Spirit-kun."

"I know." Spirit said as he stood to his feet. "You said I could have some time off?"

"Take as long as you need, Spirit-kun. I'll call you when you're needed. And don't worry about your pay, you'll be paid for maternity leave, I'll see to it."

Spirit bowed as he left.

The table disappeared, along with the sake and tea as Shinigami-sama walked out among the soul graves. He stopped at the one labeled "Dr. Franken Stein" and tapped on the cross. A second later an apparition, scarcely visible, appeared in front of him. It reached up and twisted a faint screw that seemed to be piercing its skull.

A hollow voice echoed forth, "Shinigami-sama, you interrupt my rest."

"Stein-kun, you are resting comfortably?"

The apparition nodded. "Quiet, peace. The only sound is the occasional tear that falls near here."

"You still hold sway on a living soul."

The apparition tilted its head, what might be smoke rising from its mouth. "I apologize."

"The next time the tears fall, you must not reach out. You must let her go." Shinigami-sama said quietly.

"The tears fall for me?"

"Marie weeps still for you, Stein-kun. She needs her strength though, your son has been born and she needs to help him find his way."

"Marie? My son…" The apparition was quiet for a moment. "I'm Dr. Franken Stein." It said suddenly.

"You were, and I'm sorry to interrupt your rest just to ask this of you, but I need you to let her go."

The apparition stared him straight in the eyes, and it was obvious to Shinigami-sama that it was regaining memories quickly. "You know that I would do anything to keep her safe, Shinigami-sama. If that means being alone, here, then that is my choice."

"Thank you, Stein-kun. I will let you rest again now."

"Shinigami-sama… his name?" The apparition said quickly.

"Franken Albarn."

A smirk crossed the apparition's steadily solidifying face. "Spirit is taking care of them, then. I can rest easy."

"Yes, you can old friend." Shinigami-sama said as he released his hold on the soul in the grave and the apparition faded. Even now he could hear the other soul's clamoring to be heard, but he blocked them out, something he had long ago grown used to doing.

* * *

Marie stood in front of the soul grave, holding her now three month old son. Spirit stood beside her, his hand on her shoulder as she talked to Stein. Always before she had felt some trace of Stein, but this time she didn't, but she kept talking as a tear fell to the ground in front of it. She felt something, a flash, when it hit but it was gone as soon as it happened and she told herself she had imagined it.

Spirit slid his arm around her back as they walked away from Stein's grave and Marie smiled up at him. He felt at peace for the first time in a long time and looked over his shoulder at the grave before they left and nodded once.

Marie, cooing to Franken then, didn't hear his quiet whisper.

"_I'll take care of them both, Stein. I promise."_

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoy the new update. Hope it's not too out there for you to believe, but Shinigami-sama **_**is **_**the god of death, and in most religions, souls don't actually die, they are eternal, so I used that for that part.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	3. Chapter 3

Four year old Franken Albarn sat in his kindergarten class idly twirling his crayons. The teacher had wanted a picture and he had given her one. How was it his fault that she hadn't liked what he had drawn? He remembered his mother telling his father once that she had given him her heart, and he replied that he had given her his.

To the then three year old, the exchange had to have been literal, so that was what the now four year old had drawn for his teacher, thinking that it was "romantic", another word that he had heard his mother and father using. But now the mean teacher was speaking in hushed tones with his mother and father, his picture (which he had taken the entire class period to draw for her) sitting on the table between them.

Marie looked over her shoulder at him and smiled reassuringly. Franken flashed a smile back at her and picked up his crayons with a sudden interest in drawing something else. He worked furiously on it the entire time that his mother and father were talking with the teacher. He smiled up at them again when the three came over to him with his original drawing, and held up the new one.

In it, Marie and Spirit were exchanging hearts again, and this time he had added himself and even the mean teacher to the picture, smiles on all of their faces. The teacher's face paled as she looked down at the drawing and then over at Spirit and Marie.

In a strained voice the teacher said something that confused the boy greatly. "I want that monster out of my class, now."

Spirit's arms slipped around Marie immediately, and Franken watched his mother's face contort in anger. "My son is not a monster!"

"What normal child draws something like that?! And not once, but twice! Look at the detail; those aren't just heart shapes- you can see that it looks like an actual heart! How does he even know what one looks like?!" The teacher countered. "I can't have something like that where other students can see it! I'll take this to the school board if I have to! I will not teach him!"

Franken's forehead furrowed. "You're stupid anyway." The boy said, standing up and darting to the teacher's desk, grabbing a black sharpie that sat on the edge. "I wanted to be your friend; but you don't want to be mine, which means I have to get rid of you!" The adults watched as he uncapped the sharpie and dragged the marker over the teacher's image on the picture he had just drawn, blacking it out.

"Get that monster out of my classroom!" The terrified looking teacher shouted.

Marie slapped her, sending the woman reeling back, before Spirit could stop her. Turning her back on the sprawled woman she left the room, grabbing Franken's hand as she did. The boy lost his hold on the picture, and it fell to the ground as she pulled him behind her. Spirit scooped it up, already holding the other one, as he followed Marie out of the room.

* * *

"Big sis!" Franken's voice crowed out as soon as they arrived at home. He practically flew up the stairs, wrapping his small arms around Maka's legs. Maka laughed and scooped the boy up, rubbing her nose against his as the boy giggled. She twirled in a circle, listening to the boy's laughter get even louder.

"Maka, my little girl!" Spirit gushed, crushing her and Franken in a hug. "What brings you to the lab today? Want to spend some time with your family?" Spirit's face was cracked into a huge smile.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to Marie-chan." Maka said, adjusting Franken on her hip, the boy playing happily with her pigtail.

Marie smiled as she took Franken from Maka, and then handed him to Spirit after whispering something in the boy's ear. Franken giggled as he climbed out of his father's arms, gripping Spirit's suit to clamor up to the man's shoulders, Spirit obviously used to being used as a jungle gym.

"I'm big now!" Franken giggled, holding tightly to Spirit's forehead as Spirit laughed.

"Yes, you are Franken. Someday you'll be taller than me!" Spirit chuckled.

"Taller than daddy!" The boy crowed. Spirit's smile wavered, just for a second, before returning in full force as he held onto Franken's legs, walking with the boy balanced on his shoulders into the lab.

"I'll be in in a minute, Spirit." Marie said warmly, lacing her arm through Maka's. They walked a little bit away from the lab and over to the wall that surrounded it. "What did you need, Maka?"

"Well… it's about Soul. Tsubaki and Liz and Patty are all gone on missions, and he asked me on a date with him and I have no idea what to do or wear but I said yes and I'm really, really nervous and I thought that since you had married my dad that I could come to you because that kinda makes you my stepmom, right?" Maka said in a hurried rush.

Marie laughed, her face lighting up with a huge smile as she crushed Maka in a huge hug. "I'll be more than happy to help you with everything, Maka!"

* * *

Franken squirmed out of Spirit's arms once they got into the lab and raced up to his room, the two pictures clenched in his hands. Spirit chuckled, following the boy. He stood in the doorway watching the four year old balancing on his bed, a piece of tape on his chin as he smoothed the slightly crumpled paper out on the wall before pushing the tape onto the paper and wall. He grinned up in pleasure at the pictures before his face contorted in curiosity.

"Daddy, did I do something wrong? Is that why the teacher was so mad?" Franken asked as he hopped down and sat on the edge of his bed.

"No, you didn't. The teacher was overreacting. It doesn't matter though; you won't be going back to that school anyway." Spirit said, moving over to the boy and wrapping his arm around Franken's shoulders.

"Why not?" Franken asked.

"Because you don't have to put up with people being cruel because you're smart enough to know something that they think you shouldn't. Which bring a question up, son. How did you know what a heart looked like?"

Franken's smile was sly, and he leaned towards Spirit, whispering conspiratorially, _"I found something really cool. Do you want to see?"_

Spirit grinned and nodded. Franken stood and dashed over to his closet, straining as he pulled the box out from the back of his closet.

The first thing Spirit saw was a white, stitched lab coat that Franken held up triumphantly, slipping it on. He looked ridiculous in it, but Spirit's face paled even as Franken drug other items out. A pair of glasses followed that Franken grinned as he slipped on, and then he pulled out a small, leather bound book and opened it up.

Inside were detailed drawing of various bodily parts and organs. The one that Franken was showing him was a detailed bisection of the human heart. As they both looked at the picture Franken was sounding out the words, stumbling over the medical terms. The picture was signed at the bottom, and suddenly Franken looked up at Spirit and asked a question that Spirit had hoped wouldn't come for a long while.

"Daddy, who's Franken Stein? And why does he have my name?"

* * *

**A/N: Mini-Stein! I don't own Soul Eater.**


	4. Chapter 4

Spirit stared down at the boy, his mind reeling momentarily. Painting a smile on his shocked face Spirit scooped Franken up and quickly considered the best course of action as he sat the boy on his knee. A half-truth sprung immediately to his lips.

"Franken Stein, who everyone called Stein, not Franken, was a good friend of mine and your mother's. He died before you were born, and it upset your mom a lot, so she wanted to name you after him. I agreed, and we named you Franken." Spirit ruffled the boy's hair. "So you see, you really have his name, not the other way around."

Franken looked solemn. "If he died… does that mean I'll never get to meet him?"

Spirit's heart twisted and he felt tears welling in the corners of his eyes that he blinked away rapidly, Franken looking down at his dangling feet as he awaited Spirit's response, the lab coat dragging against the floor with each kick. With a heavy sigh Spirit nodded and spoke, his voice betraying emotions he didn't want Franken to see or hear.

"No, you'll never get to meet him, Franken."

The boy gave an exaggerated sigh and heaved his shoulders. "I bet that you could make it so I could meet him sometime, daddy. You can do anything."

"Even I can't bring back the dead, Franken." Spirit said gently.

The boy looked up at him then and a smile spread across his face. "Then I'll find out who can, and I'll get them to bring your friend back. Everyone deserves to have friends!"

Spirit just ruffled the boy's hair. "Of course you will, Franken." He stood and sat Franken back on his bed. "Why don't you draw another picture while we wait on your mother to cook dinner?"

A gleam settled in the boy's eye as he picked up the leather bound book. "Can I draw something from this?"

Spirit hesitated, and walked over to the box to look at was remained in it. Franken was looking through the book as Spirit snatched the scalpel out of the box of Stein's personal effects. Standing up straight he looked over at the boy, realizing how much he looked like Stein.

"Go ahead, Franken. Draw anything you want. Would you like to draw downstairs?"

Franken hopped off the bed with the book and rushed to grab his crayons and the sketch book he head. "I would!"

Spirit chuckled, the scalpel hidden behind his back as Franken darted past him and down to the dining room table, nearly tripping on the long lab coat's tails.

* * *

After getting Franken sat up drawing Spirit walked into the kitchen, slipping his left arm around Marie's stomach and nuzzling the side of her neck. The woman giggled, turning to face him and dropped the spoon she was holding when he held the scalpel up in front of her.

"I thought that you had put that box of Stein's personal effects up, Marie." Spirit said quietly. "I can understand wanting to keep them because they're his, but go look in the dining room."

Marie looked at him before stepping around him to go and look. Spirit caught her as she staggered back, her knees collapsing. Silent sobs wracked her body.

"He found it, somehow, and had it in his closet. That's where he saw what a human heart looked like. He asked me who Franken Stein was today, too, after he saw the name signed underneath the picture." Spirit said, looking at his son.

"_And he is my son."_ Spirit thought harshly to himself. _"I'd give anything to see Stein back except having to give up Marie and Franken."_

Marie stood up straight, sniffling slightly. "What… what did you tell him?"

"That Stein was a good friend of ours that died before he was born. Franken seems to think that he can find someone to bring Stein back to life. We'll have to tell him that's not possible." Marie nodded.

"I'm… I'm almost done with dinner, Spirit." The woman moved to go past him, but Spirit wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to him, dipping her down low to press his lips against hers.

"Marie, I love you."

She smiled and kissed him again. "I love you too, Spirit."

He released her then and walked into the dining room to see what Franken was drawing. The boy was so absorbed with his drawing that he didn't notice Spirit approach or look over his shoulder, chuckling slightly as Franken was constantly tugging the sleeves of the lab coat up so he could see what he was doing.

Spirit felt his face go pale as he saw the image that Franken had drawn. It was obviously the three of them, but it was just a pale outline of their bodies. Inside, in detail, Franken was replicating the page of the book that he had open, the boy's eyes wide and focused; a small smile on his face. Spirit stood there watching until the boy had finished.

Or at least, Spirit thought that he was finished. Franken looked up and narrowed his eyes, staring at the wall that Marie was behind, cooking. A moment later he had retrieved a bright yellow crayon and drew a circle around her with it, a lightning bolt exploding from the side of it. He carefully filled the circle in lightly with yellow.

He then turned to look at Spirit, scrunching his eyes up briefly before going back to the drawing, placing Spirit's soul around his body just like he had done with Marie's. With a grin the boy sat his crayon down on the table, studying the picture.

"What about yours, Franken?"

The four year old turned to him and smiled. "Silly daddy, I can't see me."

It sounded as if he was explaining the simplest thing in the world to Spirit, and Spirit just chuckled as Marie brought the food into the room.

"What did you draw, Franken?" She asked and the boy proudly held up the picture. Marie grinned before taking the picture to hang on the fridge. Spirit served out food as she did, and was sitting down in his chair as she returned.

The family ate happily, Franken chattering on about how cool the book was. Finally Marie cut in, "We shouldn't let him spend so much time with Soul, Spirit."

Spirit just laughed. "There are worse things he could be saying than cool."

Franken looked at them and grinned, an idea forming in his mind. "Un-cool!" He shouted suddenly, and both Marie and Spirit broke into laughter.

* * *

Marie lay curled up in Spirit's arms, her breathing slowing, but not quite asleep yet.

"I guess it's obvious that Franken's a meister. Seems he is going to take after Stein in that regard." Spirit said quietly.

"Yeah… we have no clue how to deal with meister abilities either." Marie said, her voice slightly slurring from how tired she was.

"Maka didn't manifest her _Soul Perception_ until after she was at Shibusen for a while, so it isn't something that Kami and I had to deal with. She can't use her wavelength to attack with, either. If he does take after Stein that may be a problem."

Marie snuggled closer to Spirit, and he wrapped an arm around her, getting the hint. "Goodnight, Marie. I love you," he said as he kissed her forehead.

He felt her nod against his chest, and her words were so jumbled he could barely make them out, but he knew what she meant. With a smile he slipped to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: ^_^ I don't own Soul Eater.**


	5. Chapter 5

Franken stared at his mother's stomach in awe, placing his small hand against it before leaning his ear against it, his eyes wide open as Marie and Spirit smiled down at him.

"She's purple!" He exclaimed suddenly as he stared at Marie's stomach. "Mama, what are you naming her?"

"Your daddy and I are going to name her Isabel. What do you think of that name, Franken?" The boy grinned up at her, his small hand still resting on her stomach.

"It's pretty! I can call her Izzy and I'll have a big sis and a little sis!" He collapsed into giggles and Spirit scooped him up.

"You definitely will, Franken! Now, do you want to come with us to help pick out some stuff for her nursery?"

The four and a half year old grinned, squirming in Spirit's grasp until the man sat him down. Franken darted over to the closet and pulled out his shoes, managing to get them on the right feet, but looked down, stumped by the laces.

"Daddy? Can you help me?" Franken's face was serious.

"Bunny ears, bunny ears, playing by a tree. Criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me. Bunny ears, Bunny ears, jumped into the hole, popped out the other side beautiful and bold." Spirit chanted as he repeated the steps to tie Franken's shoe.

A moment later the boy was doing his other lace, repeating the rhyme under his breath. He smiled as he got it, and held his foot up so Spirit could see. The death scythe chuckled, scooping Franken up and placing him on his shoulders.

"Look, Mama! I tied this shoe!" He shouted, holding it out so that Marie could see.

She smiled up at him, "You did a great job, Franken."

* * *

Spirit sat in the waiting room of the hospital, Franken asleep against his chest as Marie went through labor. For some reason the doctor had been adamant that Spirit not be in the room when his daughter was born, and Spirit was more than a little nervous about that fact. He held Franken close to him though, rocking idly to keep the almost five year old asleep.

"Mr. Albarn?" The quiet voice came from behind him and Spirit looked up into the face of an orderly. The woman smiled down at him. "Your wife would like to show you your daughter now."

Spirit stood, carefully readjusting Franken in his grasp as he followed the orderly to Marie's room. He stepped in and looked at the smiling weapon. "Isn't she just gorgeous, Spirit?" Marie asked quietly as he walked further into the room with Franken, the orderly shutting the door behind them.

"Just like her mother." Spirit said, smiling down at the tiny baby in Marie's arms. Carefully balancing Franken on his hip he reached a hand out to the baby, and smiled as small fingers curled around his index finger.

A nurse slipped into the room, moving quietly to Marie's side and handed the woman a packet of pills and waited on her to slip them into her mouth before giving Marie the glass of water she had brought, complete with a straw. Marie took them and mouthed, "Thank you," to her as the nurse smiled and nodded, leaving the room.

A yawn alerted them both to the fact that Franken was slowly waking up. "Daddy," the tired boy murmured into Spirit's arm, "has mama had Izzy yet? I wanna meet her."

Spirit adjusted Franken while the boy rubbed sleep from his eyes and let him sit on the edge of the bed beside Marie. "Say hello to your sister, Franken."

In an instant the sleep was gone from Franken's eyes and he was staring wide eyed at the tiny baby. "She's so little!" The boy exclaimed. "Hi, Izzy!" He climbed carefully over Marie, looking down into Izzy's face. He looked up at his parents and asked, "When will she say hi back?"

Both of them laughed. "Not for a while yet, Franken. Not for a while." Spirit said, ruffling the boy's hair.

* * *

"Mama! Izzy won't leave me alone!" Seven year old Franken shouted, darting away from his toddling sister.

"Fray! Fray come play Izzy!" Isabel Albarn babbled, her strawberry blonde hair a sharp contrast to her brother's silver hair. Her eyes, a blue that obviously came from Spirit, were a stark contrast to Franken's vivid green ones as well.

"Mama!"

"Franken, Izzy just wants to play with you. I thought that you wanted to color with her." Marie said soothingly.

"She draws outside the lines and on my pictures and she almost drew in that journal!" Franken said irritably.

"You know that you have to keep that journal away from Izzy, Franken." Spirit's voice scolded him. "If you don't take care of it, we will have to take it away from you."

Franken hung his head and nodded. "Yes, daddy."

"Alright, Franken. You're going to go with me to meet Shinigami-sama today. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

The boy's eyes lit up. "No, I haven't! Are we going now?"

Spirit nodded and Franken darted to his bedroom, changing into the clothing they had picked out for this event. He came back out, and stuck his tongue out suddenly at Izzy, who started crying. "Franken Albarn!" Marie's voice scolded him, "Don't be mean to your sister!"

"Yes, Mama."

Spirit knelt down in front of the boy. "Why don't you go on and wait by the door for me. I need to say goodbye to your Mama."

"Alright, daddy!"

Spirit walked over to Marie, giving her a hug. "I'm going to show him Stein's grave today." Marie just stared at him. "He's been asking again. This way he can see the grave and with Shinigami-sama there we may be able to finally explain how permanent death is." He could see the look of pain that crossed the woman's face and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I know it still hurts, Marie. It hurts me too. Franken is going to have to be told soon, too, that Stein is his father, not me." Spirit's heart twisted as he said the words, and tears brimmed in Marie's eyes.

"You're his dad, Spirit."

"But not his father. He's still mine, though." Spirit smiled warmly. "I'd do anything for the three of you. I love you, Marie. We'll be home soon."

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. "I love you too, Spirit." He grinned, sweeping her down and into a kiss, causing her to giggle. Helping Marie back to his feet he caught Izzy in a hug, swinging her around as the little girl giggled, sounding almost exactly like Marie.

"I'll be home soon, my two darling ladies."

* * *

**A/N: Don't ask, Isabel is just such a pretty name (and Elsa can be made from it .) I hope you enjoy the newest one :)**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	6. Chapter 6

"Why hello, hello, hello!" Shinigami-sama hopped towards the two as they entered the Death Room. "How's it going, Spirit-kun? And is this little Franken-bō?" Large white hands unfurled from the things sides and Franken took a hesitant step back.

"Franken, say hello to Shinigami-sama." Spirit said warmly, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Hello." To his credit, Franken didn't flinch when those oversized hands ruffled his hair.

"I've heard so much about you from Spirit-kun! It's great to actually meet you!" Shinigami-sama hopped over to a table that appeared and picked up a plate, holding it out to Franken.

Franken looked up at Spirit, who just nodded. The boy cautiously advanced, looking at the contents of the plate. There were cookies of all types piled on it, and Franken's face broke into a wide grin as he took one.

"You can have more than one." Shinigami-sama said kindly.

"Mama says one at a time or you're being greedy." Franken said as he took a bite of his cookie. "And if I'm greedy, Izzy gets all my cookies."

Shinigami-sama looked up at Spirit, "That would be your daughter, yes?" Spirit nodded.

"Izzy's my sister!" Franken said suddenly, turning to look at them.

"Yes, she is. She's rather fond of you, isn't she Franken?" Spirit asked.

The boy grinned. "She calls me Fray! No one else does, so it must be because she likes me a lot!"

Shinigami-sama laughed. "So, could I call you Fray?"

"No."

Shinigami-sama tilted his head to the side and looked at the boy. "Why not?"

"Because you don't know me, and I shouldn't even be talking to you because Mama says not to talk to strangers, but Daddy said that I could talk to you, because you were special. But I still don't know you and only Izzy gets to call me Fray." Franken sounded like he was explaining something incredibly simple to understand to someone who couldn't be made to understand.

He sounded a lot like Stein.

A smile flitted across his face immediately afterwards and he looked at the plate, a mischievous smile crossing his face as he looked sideways at his father. "I might let you if I can have another cookie though."

Both adults burst out laughing. Franken grabbed a cookie off the plate as Shinigami-sama held it out to him, taking small bites of it, cautious of crumbs.

"Spirit here tells me that you can see people's souls, Franken." Shinigami-sama said offhandedly.

"The circles around people?"

"Yes, those are people's souls."

Franken stared at Shinigami-sama for a second, his forehead furrowing. "Then why don't you have one?"

Shinigami-sama's mask changed into what was obviously a smile. "I do, Franken, it's just so large that you can't see it because you're standing inside it. It surrounds all of Death City."

The boy looked up into the sky, his cookie forgotten. "Why is it so big?"

"Because I'm not a normal person, I'm a grim reaper." Shinigami-sama said quietly.

"Then you can bring people back to life? Cause if you're a grim reaper they get to choose who lives and dies, right? And Daddy said that he had a friend that died way back before I was born that I was named after, but no one called Franken except my Mama and everyone was sad when he died." Franken's eyes were wide when he looked back at Shinigami-sama. "You could make them all happy again!"

Spirit looked shocked, but Shinigami-sama answered smoothly, "I can't break the rules, Franken. If someone dies, then they have to stay dead."

"But you could if you really wanted to. Daddy said that rules were meant to be broken once. I don't think he knew I was listening to him when he did though. He and Mama were playing a game." Spirit's face turned beat red and Shinigami-sama suppressed the urge to laugh as Franken smiled.

"I can't, Franken, even if I wanted to."

The boy huffed, obviously unsatisfied with the answer. "Alright," he said as he looked around the room. "If you can't though, why do you keep all of the souls in the ground?"

"Because I speak with them sometimes. Being dead is a lonely existence for those who refuse to move on."

"Has Daddy and Mama's friend moved on?" Franken asked, stepping down and amid the crosses.

Shinigami-sama turned to look at Spirit for a moment, and found that the death scythe was obviously interested in the answer as well. Taking a deep breath, Shinigami-sama answered truthfully, "I'm afraid that their friend hasn't."

"Why not?" Franken was moving further and further out and amid the rows of crosses.

"Franken, come back up here." Spirit said.

"Let him go, Spirit." Shinigami-sama said quietly before answering the boy, "I believe that he hasn't because he is worried about your Mama and Daddy."

The boy stood from where he had knelt beside one of the crosses and said proudly, "I'm going to protect them, so he doesn't have to worry about them anymore. Mama said he was very brave, and since I'm named after him, I'm going to be brave too."

Spirit smiled as Franken came back up onto the platform. He ruffled the boy's hair and picked him up, letting him sit on his shoulders.

"Do you have a real name?" Franken asked suddenly, lacing his fingers together and setting his chin on top of them on top of Spirit's head.

"My name is Shinigami-sama."

"Sama's a title!" The boy giggled.

"So it is, but it is also my name."

Franken just smiled. "I want a title for a name!"

Spirit chuckled. "You have a name already, Franken. Your Mama and I gave it to you when you were born."

"I like my name. Maybe someday I can have a title and a name." Franken said, obviously in thought.

"Say goodbye to Shinigami-sama, Franken." Spirit said.

"So soon? I like it here. There are people talking constantly and Shinigami-sama is so nice," the boy pouted as Spirit turned around.

"Yes, so soon. We have to get back to your Mama and Izzy."

Franken twisted to wave goodbye and Shinigami-sama just smiled behind his mask, waving back. He waited until the pair had left before retracing the boy's steps. He shook his head when he reached the grave marker Franken had stopped by, the boy's footprints obvious in the dirt.

It took little concentration to call forth the soul that was quivering in the grave.

"I told you to not reach out, did I not?"

The apparition stared blindly at the death god. "I did not."

"He came straight to you. He ignored the others, and came straight to you." Shinigami-sama said quietly.

A long moment passed as the apparition gained from and substance. Smoke from an insubstantial cigarette drifted towards the ceiling before disappearing, a smirk spreading across the apparition's face. "He is my son, Shinigami-sama."

"He is Spirit's son now, Stein-kun."

The apparition sighed. "I know that. It was good to see him though. He looks so much like I used to."

"Are you ready to move on, Stein-kun?"

"No. I want to watch, to wait," the apparition said, twisting the screw that protruded from its head.

"Very well. I will grant you that."

It bowed as he released it, the apparition's final words echoing, "I thank you, Shinigami-sama. Find a way to let Spirit know I appreciate him taking care of them."

"I will, Stein-kun," he promised the empty air.

* * *

**A/N: :) I don't own Soul Eater.**


	7. Chapter 7

"Mama! I met a really nice person who was a stranger but isn't a stranger now!" Franken shouted as he dashed in the door of the lab. "He even gave me two cookies!" The boy's small frame collided with Marie, and he hugged her waist tightly before looking up at her and grinning. Marie ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek even as Izzy came toddling out of the other room, standing in front of the baby gate that Marie had up.

"Fray! Fray! Izzy miss Fray!" The girl crowed, holding her arms up and over the baby gate. Franken looked at both his parents and Spirit couldn't help but notice the sly smirk that slipped over the boy's face as he walked over to Izzy, careful to conceal his actions from the two adults.

Spirit watched out of the corner of his eye as Franken slipped something from his pocket, handing it to Izzy who started giggling even as the boy held his finger against his lips. Spirit moved to Marie, and turned her slightly so she could see what it was.

Izzy was now holding the second cookie that Franken had taken from Shinigami-sama; there was the smallest of bites that had been taken from it, and Spirit remembered thinking about how odd it was for Franken to eat like that. Marie took a step towards them, and Spirit just shook his head, leaning in close to murmur in her ear.

"_He was given that by Shinigami-sama himself, and chose to give it to Izzy so they'd both have one each."_ Marie smiled up at Spirit and they watched as the boy carefully climbed over the baby gate and walked into the living area with Izzy following along behind him. _"You've done a wonderful job of instilling the need to share in him, Marie. He even told Shinigami-sama that he couldn't eat more than one at a time because of Izzy."_

Marie laughed, Franken now out of sight. "At least someone can be taught to share!"

Sprit just nuzzled her neck, nipping it slightly. "What can I say, Marie? I don't like to share." Her giggles trailed through the room.

* * *

"Daddy… do I have to?" Franken Albarn was now eight, and starting the fifth grade, having been skipped up.

"Yes, you do. You'll do fine." Spirit readjusted the boy's backpack. "Your Mama has packed your lunch and Izzy lunch in your backpack. You'll drop her lunch off when you drop Izzy off at her classroom."

Franken sighed. "Daddy, Uncle Soul says that it is uncool to have to take Izzy to class. Do I have to?"

"_Damn that octopus headed boy!"_ Spirit thought, the gears in his mind turning quickly. "It's not uncool, Franken. In fact, making sure your little sister is ok is one of the coolest things a big brother could ever do. It's very brave."

Franken perked up at the mention of being brave. "I am brave, daddy. Just like the guy you named me after!"

Spirit ruffled the boy's hair, "I know you are, Franken. You're making him very proud." Franken grinned at that and rushed over to where Marie was getting Izzy ready for her first day of kindergarten.

"Izzy! I'm going to make sure that you're ok while we're at school!"

The little girl laughed. "Fray is a cool big brother!" Franken preened a bit at that, a grin on his face as he grabbed Izzy's hand.

"We have to go so we're not late! That way I can make sure she's ok even faster!" Both Marie and Spirit laughed as Franken tugged Izzy towards the door and the waiting car that would take them to their first day of school together.

* * *

"Alright Izzy. You go to this classroom and do whatever the teacher tells you, ok?" Franken asked his little sister solemnly. The strawberry blonde just giggled and nodded before giving him a quick hug.

"I'll be good, Fray! I promise!" Izzy trilled out before dancing into her classroom. Franken grinned as he adjusted his backpack, and suddenly remembered that Izzy's lunch was in it. He quickly retrieved it and gave it to Izzy's teacher before going on to his own class.

Franken Albarn sat in the front seat, closest to the teacher's desk, listening to the woman teach. His eyes flew over the notes and he wrote as she spoke, not as she wrote, taking notes from the actual lesson. He listened, enraptured, as she declared that the first unit her class would be starting was science.

"Now then, we're going to start out with the weather. Specifically, we'll be starting with cloud types. From there we'll do a short study on the ecosystem, then on the plants and animals that thrive in it. At the end, we'll do a very brief study on the human anatomy, which your parents will have to sign a permission slip for, as it will include our sex ed information. Are there any questions?"

A few students raised their hands to ask, but Franken was too busy reading the notes that he had just taken down to show his parents. His hands itched as he thought about all the new things that he was going to get to learn this year.

* * *

"How was your day?" Spirit asked as Franken and Izzy came out of school that evening.

"I ate playdough!" Izzy giggled, holding out the hand that Franken wasn't holding to show Spirit the smudges of green playdough that matched the stains on her tongue. Spirit just shook his head, laughing.

"What about you Franken?"

"It was awesome! We get to study science first! I wrote down what the teacher said we'd be studying. It's going to be so much fun this year." Spirit smiled, though he felt a thin thread of worry in his stomach, but he quickly tamped it down.

"That's great, Franken." Spirit said warmly, loading them both into the car.

* * *

**A/N: I love this story, and don't worry; it isn't going to get angsty, that's my promise to you :3**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	8. Chapter 8

The next few months passed without incident, until Franken came home with the permission slip. He was literally bouncing as he pressed it into Spirit's hands. "Daddy, please. Sign it! I want to learn about everything!"

The leather bound journal was clutched tightly in the boy's hands as he darted around his father. "Please!"

Spirit laughed, and then handed the slip back to Franken. "That has half the signature on it. Go bother your Mama to sign the other half." The boy grinned and rushed off.

"Mama!"

Marie turned as he rushed into the kitchen, laughing at the wide eyed look the boy gave her. "Daddy said that you had to sign the other half! I get to learn new stuff! Please! Sign it!"

Marie took the paper and opened a drawer, pulling out a pen from it. With a flourish she signed _Albarn_ after _Spirit_ and handed the paper back to Franken. The boy slid it into the journal, laughing as he climbed into a chair to rub his nose against his mother's.

"Thank you!" He crowed out as he hopped down, darting up the stairs.

Spirit walked into the kitchen after he had left and wrapped his arms around Marie's waist. She giggled and leaned back against him and he smiled into her neck, kissing it gently.

"What did I just sign?" Marie asked, leaning back against her husband.

"A sex-ed and anatomy permission slip." Marie froze, pulling away from Spirit and his wandering hands.

"What?" She turned to face him, crossing her arms underneath her breasts.

"I don't see the problem, Marie." Franken was coming down the steps with Izzy then, the little girl chattering to him.

"You know how Stein was- do we really want to expose him to that? He's so young!" Franken froze, Izzy tugging at his hand and he just held his free hand to his lips.

"Franken has been reading Stein's anatomy journal since he found it when he was four. We don't have anything to worry about, Marie." Spirit's voice was low, but not so low that the boy couldn't hear it.

"What if he takes after him…? I mean, he is his father…" Marie's voice broke. "I'm just worried about what allowing him to take a class like that might cause."

"Marie, he'll be fine. Stein might be his father, but I'm his Papa. I know _our son_ will be fine." Spirit leaned in to kiss Marie and they both heard the sound of something hitting the floor followed by Izzy's voice calling out her brother's name.

The two of them looked at each other before Spirit pulled away from Marie and rushed after their son.

* * *

Franken was good at hiding. He had played the game with Izzy enough to know how to avoid the man that was chasing him. He waited until Spirit had passed him by and then darted out the doors, running towards the only place he knew he could get the answer to what he wanted to know. He had to go back to the place where all the people were telling each other secrets. He didn't know who he'd ask, but someone would know.

It was a longer trip than the boy remembered. He darted through the empty streets, constantly aware of his Papa getting closer to him before he'd veer off, following a sound that Franken hadn't made. The eight year old was panting when he reached the stairs, and took the time to look around before he dashed up the long staircase that led to Shibusen.

Once on top he became aware of the people that were still inside, but he ignored them when they yelled at him, following from memory the path that he had taken when he first came to meet Shinigami-sama. He stopped in front of the big black door, but he felt his Papa getting closer, and could even hear the man calling out his name. Grunting he managed to get the doors open enough to slip in and he bolted down the row of guillotines.

He stopped on the platform, looking around. Shinigami-sama was nowhere to be seen, but Franken felt something tugging at him, and he followed it to its source. He stopped in front of one of the soul grave markers, and looked at the name on the cross.

_Doctor Franken Stein_

The boy's voice was small as he looked at the grave, _"Are you my dad?"_

"Franken, I'm your Papa." Spirit stood behind the boy now, and let his hand rest on the boy's shoulder.

"What was Mama talking about? I heard what she said. I want to know!" Tears welled in the boy's eyes.

Spirit was silent. "You should tell him now, rather than lie." Both individuals looked up to see Shinigami-sama emerge from the mirror, his mask looking sad as he came over to the pair.

Spirit took a deep breath. "Franken, Stein wasn't just a good friend of your Mama's and mine. Stein was your biological father. He died protecting your Mama from the witch they were fighting. I adopted you when you had just been born."

Shinigami-sama moved to the grave marker and placed his hand on it. A second later the apparition appeared and began to take form and substance in front of them.

"Stein?" Spirit asked suddenly, pulling Franken back to his side.

"Senpai." The word sent shivers through Spirit's spine. "You are taking care of them?" The man nodded mutely.

"Spirit-kun, you must tell him." Shinigami-sama said quietly.

Spirit went to a knee, pushing Franken in front of him and letting both hands rest on the boy's shoulders. "Franken… this is your father. The man that you were named after."

Vivid green eyes stared up at the apparition. "Mama and Daddy say that you were very brave."

"Kind words for the dead." Smoke leaked from the apparition's mouth.

"Mama cries for you."

"I know."

"Daddy said I'd never meet you." Franken said, starting to take a step forward, but Spirit pulled him back.

"You never should have."

"I'm going to be brave like you when I grow up and strong like Daddy."

The apparition smirked. "I know."

"Can you move on now?" The boy asked. "It makes Mama cry that you won't let yourself rest because of her and me and Izzy and daddy."

The apparition knelt down in front of the boy, staring intently at him. Stein's screw and stitches were completely visible now and the smirk on his face was plain.

"You don't have to worry. Daddy will protect us all and I protect Izzy every day when we're at school."

Stein just nodded. "Your soul is pure and clean. A harder worker, honest. You took after your mother and me." A ghostly hand reached out to touch the boy's hair. "Promise me something."

"Then you can move on?"

"Yes."

The boy thought for a second and nodded.

"That you will always listen to your mother and father."

"They said you were my-"

"Spirit-senpai is your father."

The boy smiled before he nodded again. "I promise."

The apparition nodded and stood. "Thank you, Senpai."

"Stein-"

"Thank you for taking care of them." The apparition looked over at Shinigami-sama and nodded almost sadly. A moment later that was a flare of light and the apparition was gone, Stein's soul hanging where it had been. A second after that the soul was disintegrating.

Spirit was silent, staring at the grave. "Daddy?" He looked down at the boy that was now holding his hand.

"Yes, Franken?"

"He was a very good man, wasn't he?"

Spirit looked up as Shinigami-sama chuckled. "Yes he was, Franken. One of the best."

A smile crossed the boy's face. "I'm going to be a very good man, just like both my daddies." Spirit smiled down at Franken, picking the boy up and hugging him close as Shinigami-sama chuckled again.

* * *

**A/N: And Stein moves on, Franken finds out, and life is good. I hope that you enjoyed.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	9. Chapter 9

Spirit lay in bed that night holding Marie close to him. Everything he had wanted to ask Stein, everything he had wanted to say when he saw the apparition was running through his head. Instead, all Stein had said to him was "Thank you," leaving the death scythe no room to talk before he had-

Spirit withheld the sob that threatened to hiccup out of him. Stein had finally moved on. The man they had all known had joined the fray again, to be returned to life some other time as someone else, Shinigami-sama only knew where. Spirit could only hope that his life would be easier and happier when he was.

Marie moved in her sleep and he tightened his grip on the woman, feeling her snuggle her head against his chest. She murmured something against his chest and the man sighed, letting his head rest on top her head. She spoke again and he realized now that she was awake enough to talk to him.

"Marie?"

"He went to Stein's grave didn't he?" Spirit just nodded, and Marie sighed. "Does he understand now that Stein's dead though?" A sob choked the woman's voice and Spirit pulled her closer. Nearly 9 years and neither of them had completely recovered from the man's death.

"He does. Stein… Stein moved on."

Marie was silent for a moment before sobs wracked her body. Spirit wrapped his arms tightly around her body, pulling the sobbing weapon against him. Hushed words of comfort entwined through the night as he soothed his wife, kissing the top of her head, holding her in a gentle yet firm embrace.

"Thank you, Spirit." Marie's voice was tired when she finally quit crying.

"Marie?"

"You… you didn't have to take care of Franken and me. You didn't have to adopt him… you didn't have to marry me… you didn't have to have a family with me. You had Maka… you'd already been married…" Spirit's lips pushed against the woman's, silencing her. He leaned into the kiss, deepening it and pushing Marie back against the bed.

"I wouldn't have left you alone then." Spirit said quietly, kissing the side of her mouth, his hand resting on her hip. "I wouldn't have let Franken grow up without a father," he said, kissing the other side of her mouth. "I wouldn't have let the woman I love grow old without marrying her." With that statement his moved down a bit, kissing the hollow of her throat. "I wouldn't let my wife not have the family that she always wanted," he said as he kissed her shoulder.

Marie smiled as he told her all the things he wouldn't let happen, his lips trailing down her kissed beside her belly button and even in the darkness she could see his lopsided grin, "And I wouldn't let a little thing like already having been married and divorced get in the way of telling… no showing you… how much I love you, Marie Albarn."

And he did, for most of the rest of the night.

* * *

Franken woke up sick the next day, sneezing and coughing. Izzy came running from his bedroom screaming bloody murder, her strawberry blonde braid flopping behind her almost like a rudder as she flew through the sitting room and into Spirit's lap.

"Fray sick! Fray dying!" The little girl wailed, burying her face into Spirit's leg. Izzy was sobbing like crazy and Spirit looked up at Marie. Marie walked back to go to Franken's room while Spirit scooped Izzy up into his arms, tapping her nose with his finger.

"Fray's fine, Izzy. He's not dying. Papa promises. Mama is going to go check on him, and she'll come back to tell us that he is just fine."

Izzy sniffled, wiping her nose and eyes off on her shirt sleeve. "You promise, Papa? Fray isn't gonna die?"

Spirit smiled as his daughter, touching his forehead to hers. "I promise, Isabel. Let's go check on him, ok?"

Her blue eyes stared up into his and her small face crinkled into a smile. "Alright, Papa!" Spirit laughed as he scooped the little girl up, settling her on his hip as he walked down the hall to Franken's room.

"Marie?" Marie was sitting on the side of Franken's bed, and when she turned to look at him it was with a smile on her face. Spirit stepped into the room so that he could see Franken.

The boy was pale, but he was sitting up in bed, smiling, even though he coughed a couple times.

"Fray!" Izzy's voice crowed out. "Papa said you not gonna die! He promised!" Spirit chuckled, holding Izzy as Franken grinned even wider.

"Watch, dad!" The boy exclaimed as he held his arm up. A very familiar looking almost electrical surge washed over the boy's hands and he grinned.

"Don't touch anyone, Franken." Marie warned. "You could hurt them if you do while you're doing that."

"I won't Mama. I Promise," the boy said with a smile.

"That's very impressive, Fray." Spirit said, and he genuinely meant it.

* * *

Franken scuffed his shoes together standing beside his father in the Death Room. Shinigami-sama was present only in the mirror, but a blue haired individual that Franken had never seen was standing in the room with a black haired woman.

"Alright! Black*Star, I want you to train little Franken here to deal with his wavelength attacks!" Shinigami-sama said happily. "You've got more experience than any other meister right now!"

Black*Star just smirked. "Of course I'll train the little squirt. It'll do him some good to see his god in action at such a young age anyway."

"I'm nine. I'm not that young." Franken said, his fingers curling into his father's suit jacket as Black*Star laughed.

"Sure you're not, pipsqueak. Why don't you come over here and show me just how old you are then. Come hit me." Black*Star said arrogantly, laughing as he jutted his chin into the air.

"Dad?" Franken looked up at Spirit.

"Give him hell, Franken. Just don't tell your mother I said that." The boy grinned, disentangling his fingers from Spirit's jacket and stepping up in front of Black*Star. Franken made a fist and drew it back before looking at Spirit who just nodded.

He swung with all of his young might. To his credit, he did snap Black*Star's head back slightly, but the assassin just laughed, his hand jutting out and knocking Franken back a good ten feet. Spirit stood and watched, his body tensing, but knowing that it was necessary.

Franken was a meister, he had to learn how to take a hit.

"Dad?"

"Hit him with everything, Franken. You can do that now."

The boy looked at him. "Mama said no!"

"And I'm saying do it or he'll hit you again."

Franken nodded and darted at Black*Star. At the last possible instant the boy's wavelength surged around his hands and he brought both of them together against Black*Star's stomach. Black*Star's eyes flashed as he dissipated the wavelength's attack, a soft "oomph" escaping the assassin as he was forced back a step. He grinned as he laughed.

"You're going to be the apprentice to a god!" The assassin laughed as he walked over to where Franken was standing and draped his arm over the boy's shoulder.

Franken looked over at Spirit who just nodded and grinned. Black*Star's eyes were closed as he threw his head back laughing, and Franken took advantage of the "god's" distraction. The meister flew a good twenty feet backwards, crashing into the mirror. Spirit just grinned as Black*Star stood up and shook himself off.

"That was low, pipsqueak. I'll let it slide this time. We'll start training tomorrow!" Having made his proclamation, Black*Star held his arm out to Tsubaki and the two left the Death Room.

Spirit grinned and ruffled Franken's hair. "I'm proud of you, Franken."

Green eyes met Spirit's, and the boy's face broke into a grin. "Thanks, dad."

* * *

**A/N: Time marches on! I don't own Soul Eater.**


	10. Chapter 10

It had been two weeks since Franken had started training daily with Black*Star, the boy making great strides with his abilities. Today Black*Star had come to the lab to train Franken and Marie, Spirit, and Izzy were watching.

"You have to focus more." Black*Star's voice was low and menacing as he crouched in front of the boy, his hands in a defensive position. "You need to watch what your opponent is doing and use his momentum against you. You're small; you need all the advantages you can get."

"I'm not small." Franken said, darting at the other meister.

Black*Star sidestepped him and Franken went tumbling against the ground. Izzy squirmed in her mother's grasp, twisting and turning.

"Izzy, calm down." Marie said soothingly.

"He's hurting Fray!" The little girl whined.

"He is not."

Black*Stair met Franken this time, absorbing the boy's wavelength and knocking him backwards. Izzy shrieked again and Marie turned to Spirit. "I'm going to take her in; she's getting too upset watching them spar."

Spirit reached out to ruffle his daughter's hair. "It's only because you're worried about Franken, isn't it?"

Izzy sniffled and nodded. "He's being mean to Fray!"

Spirit plucked Izzy out of Marie's arms and gave Marie a smile. "I'll hold her; maybe I can explain it to her."

"She definitely is a daddy's girl." Marie said with a smile on her face. The trio turned back to the sparring match between Franken and Black*Star, watching as the boy managed to evade one of Black*Star's attacks.

"Thatta boy, Franken!" Spirit cheered, and Izzy echoed a moment later.

"That boy Fray!"

Franken turned to grin at them at the same instant that Black*Star had darted towards the boy.

"Franken!" Marie's voice screamed out as Black*Star couldn't stop in time. His hand caught the unaware boy and sent him flying a good thirty feet. Franken hit the ground and collapsed, skidding a bit.

Izzy screamed. She wriggled out of Spirit's arms before he could stop her and charged Black*Star. "You hurt Fray! You killed Fray!" The little girl's voice was shrill.

"Izzy, Fray isn't dead!" Black*Star said quickly, Marie rushing to Franken as Spirit darted after Izzy. The little girl was screaming as she collided with Black*Star, the meister taking a step back as the four year slammed into him.

No one expected the blood that spurted from Black*Star's mouth. Izzy stood with her arm buried to the elbow in Black*Star's stomach. The little girl was screaming and crying, and as Spirit grabbed her to pull her back they all could see that Izzy was a weapon.

To everyone's surprise Black*Star laughed. "You've got two little pipsqueaks that need training now! I'll bring Tsubaki next time!"

Spirit held Izzy as she cried against his shoulder, her arm no longer a blade.

"You should go and get some medical attention, Black*Star." Marie said gently. "We'll pay for whatever it costs." Franken rubbed the side of his head as he stood, his mother helping him up.

The assassin meister just wiped the blood off his chin and grinned. "A god like me doesn't need medical attention for such a small prick. I'll see you tomorrow for more training and I'll bring Tsubaki for Izzy." Black*Star winked at Franken, who was standing beside his mother now, watching, before he left.

* * *

Izzy was sniffling, huddled in the corner of the couch while Franken sat beside her. Spirit and Marie stood looking down at the two children, and Izzy suddenly shifted to hide her head against Franken's shoulder. He just looked down at her and back up at their parents.

"Izzy, sweetheart, we're not mad at you." Spirit said soothingly, kneeling down in front of the two as Marie smiled. "We're proud of you for wanting to protect your brother." Izzy's face peeked out from her brother's shoulder.

"R-really?" The little girl's voice was pitiful.

"Of course we aren't." Marie's voice was just as warm. "We're not anymore mad than we were when Franken found out he was special. You just have to be very, very careful Izzy. You could have seriously hurt Black*Star today. It's important that you be very, very careful. Do you understand me?"

Izzy buried her face back in Franken's shoulder and the boy scooted away from her a little, pushing her shoulder to make her sit up. Izzy looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Izzy, thank you for trying to save me. I'm your big brother though; I have to be the one to save you, not the other way around, alright?" Franken said with a smile on his face.

Izzy huffed suddenly. "Fray is stupid."

Marie and Spirit burst out laughing as the two children stared at each other.

"I am not!"

"Fray is stupid! If you get knocked down by someone bigger than you, you have to get up. Fray didn't get up, so Izzy had to save Fray or Fray would have died!" Izzy sat up on her knees and stared at Franken. "So you stupid." The little girl's voice made it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

The look on Franken's face was priceless. "I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are-"

"Enough!" Spirit cut through their bickering, but he was laughing. "Franken is not stupid. Sometimes when you get hit you can't stand up immediately. That doesn't make him stupid, Izzy."

The little girl turned to look at her mother and stood up to whisper something in Marie's ear.

"No sweetie," Marie said, trying to laugh, "your Papa isn't stupid either." Izzy just stuck her tongue out at Spirit.

* * *

The next day Black*Star returned with Tsubaki, and they split the children up. Tsubaki was just talking to Izzy this time while Black*Star was pacing Franken.

The boy did better than Black*Star had anticipated, and landed a few good hits on the older meister. "That's the spirit!" Black*Star shouted arrogantly. "You want to make sure that your opponent is on the ropes!"

Franken darted away from the meister as Black*Star pushed towards him, looking around the area that Spirit and Marie had cordoned off as a training space. His eyes settled on the tree that was overhanging it and he glanced over his shoulder at Black*Star before running over to it, quickly scrambling up and into the branches.

The foliage was thick, and Franken was able to wedge himself between two branches where Black*Star couldn't see him. The boy grinned, just barely able to make out the blue-haired man through the gaps in the tree branches as the man climbed up into the tree. Franken closed his eyes for a second and when he reopened them to try to focus on finding the man's soul, he shrieked, Black*Star directly in front of him.

He fell from the branch he was sitting on, Black*Star catching him by the heel.

"A word of advice, when in combat, run your _Soul Perception _constantly. It'll keep you from getting surprised like that, Franken." Black*Star said quietly, pulling the boy back up and into the tree. "Now then, your mother is coming. I want you to drop out of the tree when she walks under it. See if you can do it undetected."

"Won't she get mad?"

"She knows that you're training, and she's in the training yard." Black*Star said, his eyes twinkling.

"Alright!" Franken crept to a larger branch, watching his mother approach the tree. He dropped out of the tree right as she passed underneath him, his arms slipping over her head, and pulling her down to the ground with him. Both of them landed hard, Franken laughing and Marie already screaming for Black*Star.

The assassin was nowhere to be found. Tsubaki vanished shortly thereafter, leaving Izzy with Spirit.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Soul Eater.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Push him back, Franken!" Spirit's voice called out to the boy.

Franken Albarn, after two years of training with Black*Star, darted towards the assassin meister, his wavelength already dancing around his hands, a smirk on the young boy's face. Black*Star stepped to the side, easily staying in the circle. Franken twirled on his heel, slipping down on it and flung his other foot out and towards the other meister.

Black*Star hit the ground, his feet flying out from under him and a look of surprise on the meister's face. Cheers went up from the small group gathered around the sparring ring, none of them louder than Izzy's shout. Franken grinned and extended his hand. The other meister grinned up at him from the ground.

"No thanks, kid. I'm still taller than you!" Black*Star kipped up, tousling Franken's silver hair as he stood. The boy ducked out from underneath Black*Star's hand, his foot lashing out again, catching the other meister in the side. Black*Star was ready for the attack though, and didn't budge.

He did however grab Franken's bare foot and twist, causing the boy to hop and spin to avoid injury to the ankle. Franken pushed off of Black*Star's hands, landing with his back foot almost over the line of the circle they were sparring in. Black*Star was beside him a second later, and with one almost gentle tap, caused the boy's back foot to slip out.

"And that's game!" Nygus called. "Black*Star, winner."

"Yahoo! As it should be for the man that surpassed God!" Black*Star crowed out. Franken just rolled his eyes and aimed a kick at the back of the assassin's knees. Black*Star stepped aside at the last instant and gave Franken a wink as the boy slipped and fell. "Better luck next time, pipsqueak."

Franken glowered from the ground, but accepted the meister's offer of aid to stand.

Spirit and Marie walked over and Spirit ruffled Franken's hair as Izzy shrieked her laughter out, giving her brother a huge hug.

"You almost beat him, Fray! You made him to the ground! You almost beat him!" She cheered after letting go of the boy, her face scrunched up in joy.

"I will next time!" Franken said confidently.

"Sure ya will, pipsqueak. We'll see about that." Black*Star said with a laugh from where he was standing with Tsubaki and their little one, Trienta. The black haired infant laughed as her father took her. "You're doing well, Franken." Black*Star said as he passed them, Tsubaki following as they left.

* * *

A year later Franken Albarn stood on the steps that led up to Shibusen and took a deep breath. Today was the day that he started in the EAT class. The day that he would hold a weapon for the first time. The day that he would find a weapon partner to turn into a death scythe.

Today would be the first day of his career as a meister, and his goal to make his parents and the man he was named after proud of him.

Toned legs carried the boy quickly up the stairs, and he passed a few people who were having problems with them. He just shook his head, picking up the pace, and wasn't even winded when he reached the top. He looked around the front and found the sign pointing towards the room that would be hosting Freshman Orientation.

A smile crossed his face as he followed the signs, eventually arriving a few minutes early to the room. Walking in he was greeted by Sid.

"Weapon or meister?" The question was obviously asked of everyone, as Sid was handing him a meister tag before Franken could even answer. "Go mingle. Use some of Spirit's charm, maybe you'll wind up with a partner today, Franken."

The boy gave a sharp nod, his green eyes scanning over the room, observing the souls of the occupants as he walked deeper into the room before leaning against the wall. He couldn't tell who was a weapon or a meister just from their souls, but he could see the general shape of the soul- what type of person they were.

A girl not much older than him approached him, the weapon label on her chest plain for the world to see. His eyes bored into her even as she was speaking to him and he just shook his head.

"You'll have to find someone else, I'm sorry." He gave her his best smile. "I don't think that our souls would mesh well together."

The look of shock on her face was priceless. "What do you mean?"

"You have the soul of a coward. It's a good thing you're a weapon, you don't like to fight, and you don't like conflict. Why are you even in the EAT class?" The sound of her slap echoed through the room as she stalked away from a very confused meister.

Franken just shrugged and leaned back against the wall again. He watched as a boy entered the room and Sid pulled a weapon tag out, handing it to him. A smile crossed the young boy's face. This newcomer's soul belonged to someone dedicated to a cause, someone with strong faith. Franken pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the boy, extending his hand.

The green eyed boy looked up at him, his light red hair failing into his eyes, before shaking Franken's hand.

"I'm Franken Albarn, meister. You?"

The boy was silent for a second. "I'm Theo Abbeny. Weapon."

"What are you?"

"You won't want to partner with me," the boy responded with a shrug.

"Try me."

The boy just shrugged and a second later Franken Albarn was holding a smooth shafted scythe in his hands. He gave it a few swings, mindful of the other people in the room, a smile spreading across his face.

"I don't see why I wouldn't want to partner with you," Franken said, "Your weapon form is perfectly balanced."

"I'm a scythe, large and bulky. I'd been warned that not a lot of people would want to." Theo shrugged.

"Well, I do."

Theo gave a smile, his green eyes meeting Franken's. "Alright then, Franken. I'll be your weapon partner."

* * *

**A/N: Keeping this moving because I don't want it to get stale :3**

**Hope you're enjoying! I don't own Soul Eater.**


	12. Chapter 12

Izzy balled as they were packing up Franken's items to move into the dorms at Shibusen. "Fray is going away, leaving Izzy all alone!" The eight year old sobbed. It was quite obvious that she took strongly after Marie.

"I'll come back to visit, Izzy. I have to go to a different school now. You'll get to go there too when you get older, I promise." Franken explained patiently to his sister.

She smiled up through her tears, "You promise, Fray?"

"I promise, Izzy." She grinned then and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Franken suffered through the bear hug in silence, though he was smirking slightly.

Spirit laughed and ruffled his hair as they packed the last box in the back of the car. Franken actually had very little that he had to take with him, mainly clothing and his electronics. Spirit didn't miss that he packed that leather journal.

He also took the lab coat with him, though it was carefully hidden in the bottom of the box, wrapped safely around Stein's folded glasses. Spirit didn't mention either, content to let the boy have his hero.

'_And of all people, Stein deserves that title.'_ Spirit thought to himself as he got into the vehicle and drove onward to the Shibusen dorms.

Marie stepped out of the car with him, grabbing a box. Franken started to, then with a sly grin sat down his box, and reached into it. He pulled out the leather journal. "Will you carry this for me, Izzy? It's really important, so I have to entrust it to someone I know won't let it get messed up."

Izzy's eyes lit up and she clutched the leather bound journal to her chest. "I will, Fray!"

He smiled and picked up his box. "Thanks, Izzy!"

It only took two trips to bring up his 5 boxes, and he deposited them in the side room that didn't have stuff in it already. He knew that Theo lived in the dorm already, but was a little surprised not to find his new weapon partner there.

Izzy clambered up onto his bed and stretched, carefully sitting the journal onto the shelf that was above the bed. "It's all safe, Fray!" She said happily, flopping down.

"Thanks, Izzy."

"No prob!" She said happily, looking around the room. "Do we get to meet Theo?"

The weapon appeared then, standing in the doorway with a bag in each hand. "Um, excuse me," he said quietly. Marie and Spirit moved out of the way, and Theo brushed past them, sitting one bag down on his bed and moving deeper into the dorm to the kitchen they shared with the other three dorm rooms near them.

Franken followed him into the room. "I want you to meet my family, Theo. This is my mother, Marie, and this is my father, Spirit. She," he motioned to Izzy, "is my little sister, Isabel."

"Izzy." The girl corrected petulantly and Theo smiled slightly.

"It's nice to meet you all. Thank you for allowing me to partner with your son," he said quietly.

"And why wouldn't we?" Marie asked curiously.

Theo just shrugged. "I'm not a very popular weapon choice, it seems. Most people are looking for ranged weapons anymore, or something swift and silent."

The two death scythes burst out laughing. Theo looked at them oddly. "You don't know who we are, do you?" Marie asked kindly, and Theo just shook his head.

With a grin, Marie transformed her arm. "Hammers aren't exactly swift or silent." Izzy was giggling and Franken was smiling. He knew what was coming next.

Blades sprouted from Spirit's body. "Neither is being a scythe."

Theo's eyes went wide. "You're… you're a scythe?"

"Not a scythe, the Death Scythe." The boy's green eyes went even wider, and Franken couldn't help but laugh.

"See, Theo?" He asked before continuing, "I told you that there was nothing wrong with your weapon form. Both my parents are bulky weapons, and they're both death scythes."

Theo smiled, a bit of his self-esteem rekindled.

* * *

Franken lay in bed that night, listening to the other boy snore. He had found out a lot about Theo after his own family had left.

Mainly he had found out that Theo didn't have a family. He knew that if he told his mom, Theo would have more family than he ever needed, and he was sorely tempted to do so. _'Maybe later, when we've learned a bit more about each other. No need to push him into something that would make him uncomfortable. He's brave, but his soul is still reeling from whatever took his family from him.'_ Franken thought as he yawned.

He stayed awake though, waiting until Theo had drifted off before stealthily retrieving the worn leather journal, opening it up and using a pen light to read through the entries. He knew almost all of them by heart, and smiled as he read through, running the names of the different portions of the human anatomy over in his head.

He was surprised when he turned a page that he had never realized was stuck together before. Carefully he peeled the pages apart and found himself staring at a picture of his own mother. It was well drawn, and there was an entry underneath it that made Franken's cheeks heat red. He felt as if he had stumbled on something very personal, and something that would make his mother start crying again.

_This is my Marie. I found out a few days ago that we would have a son, though she probably doesn't even realize that she's pregnant yet. I can see his budding soul though, hovering near hers. It has such potential, perhaps enough to pass mine. I wonder how much of my DNA will trump hers? Will he be susceptible to the madness, or will he be resistant to it? Will his hair be gold or silver, or something inherited from our parents? There is so much randomness to child bearing. The curiosity is overwhelming._

_Though I know that Marie will never read this, as she dislikes my anatomy works greatly, I will pen this here anyway. I am already proud of our child- his soul shows much character for one not yet born. I believe that he will take after her in more ways than we will ever imagine. Perhaps he will even be a weapon. Perhaps I will make a wager with Senpai about it._

_Speaking, or rather writing, of Senpai, I will have to speak to Marie about our son's name. I find it only fitting that he be named after Spirit, even if it is his middle name. Senpai has done much for the two of us. He should also be our son's godfather. Yes, I will bring this all up to her shortly._

_And Marie, if you ever do gain the courage to look through this journal, know that even if I don't say it often enough, I love you._

Franken looked closer at the picture then, and saw that there wasn't one soul, but two depicted in it; his mother's yellow one, and what he could only imagine was how his biological father had seen his own soul. It sat beside Marie's, a light green, smaller than hers, but cradled against it. Franken tucked the book underneath his pillow and turned on his side, falling to sleep only slowly.

'_I'll show her the book in the morning…'_ he thought sleepily as he drifted off.

* * *

**A/N: I know, not much happened in this chapter- but never fear, he'll be starting classes next chapter :)**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	13. Chapter 13

Franken woke an hour before the alarm was supposed to go off and blinked the sleep from his eyes. He showered quickly in the shared bathroom before darting back into the room and grabbing the journal from underneath his pillow. He spared a glance at his sleeping partner, and hoped that the boy wasn't a late riser. A moment later he was out of the dorms and heading towards his parent's house at a trot.

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

Marie opened her eyes sleepily, and glanced at the clock. Spirit groaned in his sleep, his arms wrapping around her tightly and pulling her back against his bare chest. Marie smiled as he mumbled, _"They'll come back later."_

She let his warmth nearly lull her back to sleep when the knocking started up again. With a sigh she disentangled herself from Spirit's complaining grasp and slipped on her robe, rubbing sleep from her eyes as she plodded to the front door just as whoever it was started knocking again.

Stifling a yawn she opened the door and found Franken standing on the door. "You know that you could have just come in," she said around a yawn.

"I have to go for school… I found something that you should see, mom." Franken said and gingerly held out the leather bound journal. "I found it last night, before I went to sleep. It's marked with the book mark. Be careful with it, ok?"

Marie smiled fondly at Franken, remembering when Stein had said nearly the same thing as he had handed her the book. She hadn't made it past the first page then, telling him that the images would scar their child for life. He had just laughed.

"I'll look, Franken." He grinned and darted off. Marie yawned again and closed the door behind her, moving to an old purple couch and sat down, pulling her feet up and underneath her.

She opened the book and couldn't help but gasp as she saw the painstakingly drawn picture of her. It took her a second to realize that she was pregnant in the picture- she wouldn't have known if Stein hadn't drawn a small diagram on her stomach.

Along with Franken's soul nestled against hers.

Tears welled in her eye. He had known before she did. She stared at the hand-drawn image for a long while before she even realized that Stein had written in his small handwriting below it. Spirit's hand fell on her shoulder and he leaned over to look at what she was looking at just as the first tear fell and splashed onto the page.

Deft hands removed it before more tears could fall. Spirit was at her side a second later as she burst into full-fledged tears, the last words that Stein had ever said to her echoing in her mind. She buried her face in Spirit's bare chest and sobbed, the red-headed death scythe glaring at the leather journal.

* * *

Franken sat in class, his partner Theo diligently taking notes beside him. Franken wasn't even looking at the paper as he wrote, just paying attention to what the teacher was said, but he never slipped from the line that he was writing on and Theo glanced over occasionally with a look of disbelief .

"_How are you doing that?"_ Theo whispered quickly when their teacher's back was turned. Franken just blinked at him, confusion on his face, and Theo pointed at the paper that was filled with nearly verbatim notes from the teacher.

"_Practice,"_ Franken responded with a sly smile. The teacher turned back then and both boys gave her their full attention.

"Now class, I understand that a lot of you have already found partners. Those of you that have partners can disregard this next statement: We will be having a mixer for those who haven't found a partner yet this Saturday night. Class dismissed."

Franken gathered his books and slipped out of the room with Theo close behind him, and Franken couldn't help but yawn.

"Did I keep you up?" Theo asked suddenly. "I know I snore, I'm sorry if I kept you awake." The boy seemed incredibly nervous about that.

Franken gave him a warm smile. "No, you didn't. I just don't sleep much. By the way, my parents wanted me to come home tonight for dinner, and I thought you might like to come instead of eating ramen. Interested?"

Theo hesitated, and Franken could see something run through the boy's soul, but his _Soul Perception_ wasn't attuned enough to let him know exactly what it was beyond a shudder. Theo finally gave a hesitant nod.

"I'd like that, thank you."

Franken just smiled, his stomach already grumbling as he led Theo through the streets of Death City and towards the Patchwork Lab.

* * *

It had taken Spirit nearly 10 minutes to calm Marie down- he had ended up showering her with kisses the whole time, gentle ones placed on her cheeks and forehead, a few on her throat and neck before the last one that silenced the tears as her lips met his. She had leaned against him, her wet cheek pressed against his shoulder and he had held her until the shuddering stopped.

"_I'm sorry…"_ she had whispered into the crook of his neck. _"It was just so unexpected…"_

"It's fine, Marie." Spirit had replied, tugging her closer to him. With a swift motion he had picked the surprised woman up and was carrying her back to their bedroom. "I understand."

Marie had given him a smile as he sat her in their bed, and tugged him down with her, curling up against him and nuzzling against his side.

"I love _you_ Spirit." Marie said quietly, and Spirit didn't miss the emphasis, a smile spreading across his face as he held his wife.

"I love you too, Marie."

* * *

Marie had almost finished cooking when the first knock echoed through the lab. She just sighed and walked over to the door and opened, revealing both Franken and Theo. She smiled warmly down at them and stepped aside to let them enter.

"Your journal is in my bedroom, Franken. You can go ahead and get it, it's on the nightstand." Franken just nodded and darted up the stairs and Marie laughed. "Now, Theo, is there anything that you don't like to eat or can't?"

The boy just shook his head quickly and Marie smiled again. "Are you sure? I don't want to make green beans or something like that if you don't like them."

Theo bit his lip and in a voice almost too quiet to hear said, _"I don't like peas."_

Marie grinned. "I don't either, Theo."

The boy gave her a small smile as Franken came back into the room, the journal clutched in his hands. Marie took that time to actually compare the two. Theo was taller by about 3 inches, but Franken was more solidly built. Where Theo was lanky, Franken had the musculature from the training sessions from Black*Star. Theo's eyes were a couple shades darker than Franken's, and where Franken had a smooth complexion, Theo had freckles splattered across his pale cheeks.

The door to the lab opened again and Spirit stepped in, Izzy holding on to his hand. "Big brother!" She crowed out as she saw Franken, pulling her hand out of Spirit's and all but tackling the boy. Franken laughed and gave his sister a hug.

"I told you that I'd come back to visit, Izzy." Franken said with a sly smile. She just grinned happily and then looked over at Theo, and both parents saw the mischievousness in the girl's smile a second before she bounced happily over to Theo.

A second later she gave the boy a big hug, a surprised expression on Theo's face as Spirit burst out laughing. "You're Fray's friend, which means you're my friend, and Mama says that if someone comes over to eat, then they get to be family and you're so skinny I bet that you're here to eat which means you're my big brother now too!"

Theo looked completely confused and Marie intervened. "Izzy, honey, Theo has a family. I'm sure he has a little brother or sister that is waiting on him, so you can't just adopt him or you'll make them sad, alright?"

Izzy looked at the other weapon and her face fell. "I'm sorry; I didn't want to make your other family mad…" Tears gathered in the child's eyes.

Theo was pale and he took a small step back, biting his lip. "You… you didn't… I'm sure my mom would appreciate the thought…"

There was silence in the room, and Theo turned to the door. "I should just go on back to the dorm… I'll, I'll meet you there, Franken."

Spirit's hand fell on the boy's shoulder and he leaned down to whisper in Theo's ear before the boy could leave. Theo tensed for a second before he relaxed, a small smile on his face when he looked up at the other scythe and nodded.

"Thank you, sir." Theo said and turned back around.

Spirit was just smiling happily, looking like his normal goofy self as he stepped around them. "Let's get dinner on the table, Marie. The three of them are probably pretty hungry." Taking his wife's hand he led her into the kitchen, the door sliding shut and whispered words that couldn't be made out heard on the other side.

* * *

"_Marie, Theo's parents were killed a year ago, along with his younger sister."_ Spirit whispered once they were in the room. _"They were a weapon and meister pair, and were on a family vacation. There was a prekishin that was terrorizing the town they were in, so they decided to take care of it. No one expected it to be as intelligent as it ended up being, and it killed their daughter in front of them. Theo saw the whole thing- the only thing that saved him was that another team showed up. They were too late to save his parents though. That's why he hates his weapon form- his dad was also a scythe, and he blames the lack of speed for what happened."_

Marie's face was a mask of pain and tears fell down her cheeks. _"That poor boy!"_

"_Just don't overdo it, alright? Shinigami-sama said that he's still reeling from it, and who can blame him?"_ Marie just nodded, and gave Spirit a quick hug and a kiss.

"Welcome home, by the way." Spirit smiled into the kiss, dipping her back carefully.

"I missed you, Marie," he said as he nipped her neck and Marie laughed, pushing her hands against his chest.

"We have company; let's actually get dinner on the table." Spirit nodded reluctantly, letting the woman stand.

He helped her carry the plates out, and looked oddly at her when she left the bowl of peas behind. She grinned, "Franken, Izzy, myself and Theo don't like them. You can eat the nasty things later." Spirit just shook his head, laughing.

Franken and Izzy had already sat the table, dragging an extra chair in for Theo to use. The boy was currently standing awkwardly still as Izzy told them both about her school day, her voice excited about her upcoming school play.

"Alright, kids, let's eat!" Marie called out and Izzy and Franken both moved immediately. Theo hesitated and then moved over as well, sitting in the empty chair.

By the end of the meal Theo was actually smiling openly and laughing at Izzy's jokes.

* * *

**A/N: ^_^ I hope you're still enjoying this.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	14. Chapter 14

Theo and Franken walked back to their dorm after dinner with a bagful of various containers that contained leftovers from the meal. They walked in silence, though Franken was happy to see that his weapon partner had a smile on his face, albeit a small one. Franken led the way, and cut down an alley to make the trip a little bit shorter.

He sensed the wavelength an instant before it slammed into him, sending the boy and the bag flying backwards and into the weapon. A prekishin stood in front of them, barely more than a child itself. A hideous grin contorted a face that was painted like a clown, its limp hair long and hanging down into its eyes.

"Play with me," it hissed out, darting towards the pair, a butcher knife in its hands.

"Theo!" Franken shouted, staggering to his feet, his hand held out expectantly. Nothing happened and Franken's eyes went wide as he felt the blade the prekishin had brush against side, tearing the flesh slightly. "Theo!"

Franken ducked out of the way to see his weapon partner huddled against the wall, his eyes wide and his hands trembling. He could feel the blood running down his side but he ignored it, darting towards Theo. The prekishin stepped in front of him, and Franken charged into its stomach, knocking the creature back and into the alley wall with his wavelength.

He grabbed Theo's shoulders and shook him. "Listen you have to transform or we both might die! We're E.A.T. students, so act like it!"

Theo's eyes snapped to Franken's face and widened again, looking over the boy's shoulder. Theo shoved the shorter boy to the side and dodged to the other just as the prekishin's blade came down in between them. An instant later Franken was on his feet, Theo lunging towards him.

He caught the boy's scythe form easily, swinging through only to find that the prekishin was no longer where he had anticipated. He brought Theo's blade up just in time to block the child-sized prekishin's knife and kicked out with his foot, connecting solidly with the prekishin's stomach and knocking the thing into the side of the alley.

Franken charged then, and brought Theo down with all his strength, suddenly glad for all the time spent training with Black*Star. A moment later a mottled red soul was hanging in front of the pair. Laughter escaped Franken as he hit his knees, his hand pressed to his side and Theo's shocked weapon form clattering to the ground.

Theo was in human form an instant later, his hands on Franken's shoulders. "Are you alright?" True concern laced through the weapon's voice, and he was ignoring the soul that Franken was staring at intensely.

"I'm fine, Theo. Just a scratch. We did it. Before any actual training in class, on our first day, we did it." Franken's eyes were wide as he turned to look at Theo. "Eat it. That's what E.A.T. students do. We defeat prekishin, we feed them to our weapons, and our weapons become death scythes. You're going to be a death scythe, Theo, and this is the first one of our 99!" Franken's eyes were as animated as his face and he grinned widely. "We'll make them all proud."

Theo smiled slightly and reached out to grasp the soul in his hand before opening his mouth and swallowing it whole. He shuddered a little, but the change was obvious to Franken's eyes. Theo's soul had just grown stronger.

Franken stood to his feet, the cut on his side forgotten and insignificant as he looked at the bag his parents had sent home with them.

"Mom is going to be so mad if any of her bowls got broken." Franken said suddenly, and both boys laughed.

* * *

None of the bowls had broken, though one containing vegetables had opened. The boys put the food in the fridge in their designated space and Franken shrugged out of his shirt while he was still in the room, slipping his shoes off and walking into the shared bathroom to shower. He winced a bit as the water ran over the wound, but realized that it wasn't bad or deep. The proverbial flesh wound. It probably wouldn't even scar.

He wasn't sure if he was happy that it wouldn't. A sudden image of himself opening the wound up so that it would flitted through his mind and he wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it. _'Who in their right mind would ever consider cutting into their own body? That's just stupid!'_ Franken thought as he tried to not laugh.

He climbed out of the shower and dried off, grabbing some Neosporin and gauze from the cabinet to put on the wound. A knock on the door startled him and he called out, "Give me a minute longer."

Theo's voice answered him. "I've taken basic first aid. Do you want me to take a look at your cut?"

Franken hesitated, the gauze and Neosporin already in his hands, the wound already clean. He realized suddenly that this might be good for Theo's self-confidence and he quickly put up the supplies. "Just give me a second."

He pulled on his clothes, minus a shirt, and then unlocked and opened the door. Theo stood awkwardly a few feet away and Franken stepped back. He blinked as he realized that the boy was carrying a small kit with him.

"I… I make sure to have my own kit, just in case there's something missing and this way I know that everything in it is sterile." Franken couldn't help but smile, and Theo continued talking as he motioned for Franken to sit down. "I know it's weird, but it just seems so useful, and if I had had one a year ago…" the boy's voice trailed off as he ran an alcohol soaked pad over the wound on Franken's side and the boy winced a bit.

"It wouldn't have made a difference, Theo. Your parents… they died to protect you. Like my father did. He died to protect my mother before I was born. To a witch too. That's why we have to make sure that we turn you into a death scythe- so we can protect people from witches." Franken shivered a bit as he felt the Neosporin go on next, the other boy's touch light and gentle.

"I met your dad though…" Theo said as he continued.

"You met my dad, not my father." Franken said simply. "My dad adopted me when I was born."

Theo placed the gauze carefully over the cleaned and dressed wound, taping it down; he was digesting what he had just learned. "I'm going to be a death scythe. And we're going to protect the world from witches."

Franken smiled. "Yes, we are. I've got something to show you, if you'd like."

Theo followed Franken back into their sleeping quarters and Franken pulled the leather bound journal out and handed it to Theo. "My biological father wrote that, all of it. You went out of your way to take Basic First Aid before enrolling… you might be interested in that."

Theo held it reverently, opening the pages slowly, and Franken could see the eagerness on the weapon's face as he looked at it.

"I'm going to go ahead and go to sleep, just be careful with the pages while you're reading it, alright?"

Theo just nodded, settling on the side of his bed, just the night stand light on. He was still reading when Franken woke a few hours later. Franken smirked slightly, and went back to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! No serious injuries, some bonding, AND their first soul! :D I hope you're enjoying, I don't own Soul Eater.**


	15. Chapter 15

"What do you think of him?" Marie asked Spirit.

"Him who?" The man asked innocently.

"Theo!" Marie exclaimed as she swatted at him playfully, the two of them in the bedroom.

Spirit wrapped his arms around Marie and pulled her into bed. "I think that he is exactly what Franken needs in a partner. Franken wants to protect people, and with Theo as his partner he's found someone that he wants to protect. It'll work out well for their partnership. Now then… I think that we need to do something about our partnership…" his voice trailed off and she grinned as he wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I suppose that we do, Spirit." He kissed her grin and tugged the blankets up and over them.

* * *

The next morning dawned and Franken woke up before his alarm clock. The surprising thing was that Theo was already gone, the leather bound journal left reverentially on the table beside Franken's bed. The boy shrugged and stretched before going into the bathroom.

He peeled off the gauze and smiled at the wound. It wasn't large and even if it did scar, it wouldn't be a bad one. He showered quickly, wincing a bit at the sting of water in the wound before re-bandaging it and then dressing. He stepped out and briefly wondered why he had yet to meet any of the other occupants in the communal area, but shrugged, deciding he didn't care. If they didn't interrupt his routine, that was fine.

Theo was sitting on his bed when Franken entered the sleeping area again. The boy's head was leaned against the wall and he was asleep, his alarm clock in his hands. There was a flush to the other boy's cheeks and even from his position on the other side of the room Franken could tell that there was a sheen of sweat on the boy's skin.

If he had to guess, he'd guess that Theo had gotten up early to run or train, which would mean that he had gotten nearly no sleep. Franken just shook his head and walked over to Theo, poking his arm.

"Hey, wake up, Theo."

Theo's head lulled to the side, his breathing deep and slow. Franken grabbed the other boy's shoulder and gently shook him. Theo murmured something under his breath, but didn't wake and Franken smirked. Reaching down the younger boy took the alarm clock from Theo's hands, reset it, and then stepped back.

A minute later it went off, vibrating the other boy's hands and ringing shrilly. Theo jerked out of his sleep, his eyes wide and staring for a moment before he focused enough to turn off the alarm. He blinked a few times and yawned before looking at Franken.

"Thank you for letting me look at your journal, Franken," Theo said quietly as he tried to stifle a yawn.

"It was no problem, Theo. Our classes start in a little bit though, so I thought that you might like to take a shower and grab something to eat before we went." Franken sat on the edge of his bed and picked up Stein's journal, flipping through it. "You have a little bit of extra time. How late did you sit up reading?"

Franken looked up when Theo didn't answer and had to fight back a laugh at the guilty expression on the other boy's face. Theo was rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and looking away.

"You didn't sleep at all, did you, Theo?"

Theo just looked down at the ground. "I wanted to get it read, in case you changed your mind." The expression on Theo's face was one of guilt, but Franken could see that it was obvious that Theo had expected him to change his mind.

"I don't care if you read it whenever you want, Theo. Just as long as you're careful with it everything will be fine," Franken said with a smile.

Theo gave him a weak smile before he got up and walked off to the bathroom to shower.

* * *

Franken had to wake Theo three times during class by discretely kicking his foot. At the end of the lesson the older boy stood and yawned, stretching. Before they could leave though the teacher called out for Theo to stay behind.

Franken loitered outside the door for nearly an hour before Theo stepped out of the room. The boy didn't say a word to Franken, just walked on past him. Franken looked at him oddly before jogging to catch up.

"So, what was that about Theo?" Franken asked as he drew even with the other boy.

Theo didn't answer, just sped up. Franken stopped, his brow furrowed. He looked at the other boy's wavelength, but he wasn't familiar enough with it to understand what he was seeing. He could tell that Theo was upset over something, but he didn't know what it could be. Franken stood there until his weapon partner had disappeared out of sight.

Their teacher came up behind him, and Franken nearly jumped when she sat her hand on his shoulder. "You need to watch out for him, Franken."

Franken looked up into the teacher's face, confusion painted on his. "What do you mean?"

"I know that Theo was sleeping during class. You can't have your weapon missing sleep. It's important that both of you are in top form if you encounter anymore prekishin," the teacher's hand slipped from his shoulder then and she walked off and around the corner.

Franken hesitated. _'How… we didn't tell anyone. How does she know we went up against a prekishin?'_ Franken just shook his head and walked around the corner to head back to his dorm when he nearly collided with Theo.

"Franken… I'm sorry." Theo said quietly, looking down. "You didn't cause what the teacher wanted to see me about." Franken was silent as Theo took a deep breath. "She wants me to leave the E.A.T. class. I refused… but she… she thinks that I may not be able to handle being an E.A.T. student. Did you know that they were watching us last night?" Theo's head shot up as he asked. "She said I almost got you killed! I'm…" his voice trailed off for a second. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't get me killed. We defeated a prekishin, and it isn't like you're going to hesitate next time, is it, Theo?" Franken gave the older boy his best smile.

Theo just nodded. "I won't. We have a world to protect, people to make proud."

Franken slipped his arm over Theo's shoulders and began walking. Theo followed almost obediently as they went back to the dorm. They slipped into their room, and Theo headed into the kitchen, and then stopped and stared.

Three teenage girls were standing in the shared kitchen, talking as they cooked on the only stove. The blonde-haired, blue eyed one that was stirring some sauce on the stove looked up as he entered and smiled.

"Ah, it ist very nice to meet you, finally. I am Isolde. This ist my veapon partner, Agilberta," she indicated the other blonde teen. "And this ist Batilde. Her veapon ist Gertrude." Isolde's German accent was still very strong.

Batilde had brown hair and blue eyes and nodded to Theo who managed to nod back. Franken stepped in after the introductions and nearly bumped into the shocked Theo. His green eyes scanned the room and after a moment he gave a smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Franken Albarn, and this is my weapon Theo Abbeny." The girls gave him a nod and he smiled as he walked over to the fridge and grabbed out the leftovers from the previous night. "We'll just be borrowing the microwave for a bit, if you don't mind."

"That ist fine," Isolde said.

The boys got their food heated up and retreated to their sleeping area, and Franken couldn't help but laugh at the still shocked expression on Theo's face. "What's wrong, Theo? Don't like the people sharing our dorm area?"

Theo's eyes were wide. "I just don't understand. They're girls!"

"Dorms are co-ed; some groupings include a male and a female, so dorms couldn't really be split." Franken explained. Theo just nodded dumbly, and ate his food. (**A/N: dumb as in mute, not stupid)**

* * *

The phone was ringing, and Franken sighed. He stumbled out of bed and heard Theo doing the same in the dark, but he got to it first.

"H-hello?"

"Franken! Thank goodness! Is Izzy there? She disappeared on us!" Marie's voice cleared all of the sleep from Franken's mind and he just stared at the phone. "Franken?"

"I'll find her." Without even waiting for a response he hung up the phone and turned to Theo, "Izzy is missing."

No words were needed as the two teens slipped out of their dorm room and into the streets of Death City.

* * *

In a dark corner a little girl huddled, quite lost. An achingly familiar voice called out to her, but she ignored it. If she left her corner they would find her, and if they found her they'd be very mad at her. She had something that didn't belong to her, and she had to take it back.

She just didn't know how to get there. She heard her name called again and huddled deeper into the corner. If she was found she couldn't give back the item, and if she didn't give it back he'd be very, very sad. She couldn't bear the thought of making the sad boy even sadder.

* * *

**A/N: Don't fear- fluff is coming. I will keep my promise to not make this an angsty fic. I don't own Soul Eater.**

**Fun trivia- look up the meanings of the women's names.**


	16. Chapter 16

"Izzy! Izzy, where are you?!" Franken's voice rang through the still night and more than one person opened a window to yell at him to shut up.

He ignored them all. His sister was missing, and he was going to find her before something happened to her.

Theo was at his side, the weapon's calls echoing his own even if his steps were a little sluggish. _'The teacher was right. Theo has to get more sleep for situations exactly like this. Fighting prekishin isn't going to be just a day time job and we're going to have to be ready to go whenever.'_ Franken thought distractedly.

There was sound down one of the alleyways and Franken darted down it, Theo right on his heels. The boy was so intent on getting to the noise that he forgot to use his _Soul Perception_ and ran straight into both of his parents.

"No sign?" Franken just shook his head as Spirit asked and darted back down the alley, Spirit's voice calling out after him, "You're a meister, try to use your _Soul Perception!_"

"Alright, dad!" He and Theo turned a corner, moving swiftly through the dark streets, shouting the little girl's name.

* * *

Izzy heard her brother's voice and the sad boy's voice, and a smile crept to her lips. She crept out of the alley and a thin piercing scream cut through the night.

* * *

Franken came around the corner at a run. He could see his sister's wavelength, and he could also see whatever the hell it was that had caused her to scream. He skidded around the corner to find her huddled against the wall.

There was a large spider, maybe the size of a tarantula, in front of her, blocking her exit from the alley. It was simply sitting on its web, not menacing her with spells or attacking her, but Izzy was shivering with her head pressed against her knees.

Franken just burst out laughing and Izzy's head shot up, anger on her features. "Don't make fun of me for being afraid of spiders, Fray!"

"Izzy, it's just a spider! What are you doing out here anyway?" Franken asked as he stepped on the offending insect.

Izzy winced as the spider crunched beneath his feet, but she was at his side an instant later, giving him a big hug. "I got lost… I found something that Theo left behind and he's already so sad I thought that he'd want it or he'd be even sadder…"

Theo shuffled a bit. "Whatever it was, you shouldn't have come out by yourself…" his voice was quiet, but Izzy just ignored what he said.

She held something out to him, and Theo took it. Franken watched his weapon's eyes open wide and he suddenly realized what it was. Apparently sometime during the night they had eaten dinner with his parents, Theo's picture of his own mother had slipped out of his pocket. Franken remembered Theo showing it to Izzy.

"I didn't steal it. Stealing's wrong. I found it on the floor under the table. I thought you'd want it back…"

Theo gave the little girl that was nearly in tears a warm smile and got down on his knees in front of her. "Thanks, Izzy. I really appreciate you going through so much to bring this back to me."

She squealed and flung herself at Theo, giving the boy a big hug. Theo stood up and Izzy skipped over to Franken, slipping her hand in his and yawning.

"Are mama and papa mad at me?" she asked.

"I'm sure they're just going to be happy to see you, Izzy. You really worried all of us." Franken knelt down. "Hey, climb up. I'll carry you."

She just smiled and climbed up on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He started heading back towards where he had last seen their parents, and before he found them again she was fast asleep.

Marie scooped her off of his back, cradling the girl to her chest as she sobbed. Spirit folded the three of them into a huge hug before his arm snaked out and crushed Theo in the hug too.

"Thank you…" Spirit's voice was quiet, and Marie was incapable of speaking, sobbing in the now awake Izzy's hair. "Thank you both for finding her."

He released them and Franken stood there grinning, Theo took a few steps backwards but Marie pulled him and Franken into a hug before either of them could escape.

"Thank you, thank you…" she repeated her husband's words. "Now we have to get Izzy home and in bed. You boys need to go too."

"Yes, mom." Franken said with a laugh. He turned and hooked his arm over Theo's shoulders and tugged the boy along behind him.

* * *

Marie and Spirit didn't go to sleep immediately when they got home they just sat in their bedroom and Spirit held Marie. There were no words spoken between them, she just sobbed her fear out against his chest while he stroked her back, holding her close to him. A few tears crept down his face as well, but he forced himself to ignore them.

Izzy was home, safe and sound. That was all that mattered. They could discipline her in the morning.

* * *

"Thanks, Theo," Franken said once they had gotten back to their dorm.

"Huh?"

"For helping find Izzy. You didn't have to."

Theo didn't reply and Franken turned to look at him. The other boy took a deep breath before meeting Franken's eyes. "She reminds me of my sister. Sarah would've done the same thing. She was really impulsive; she would've considered it her job to bring back the missing item. Mom and dad… they had to go looking for her a couple times when she'd run off to give a friend a book they'd forgotten or something like that. She was only a year younger than me though, so I guess it wasn't as scary when she would."

"I'm sorry about your family, Theo." Franken said earnestly.

"_I'm going to become a death scythe so I can protect people from the same thing happening again," _Theo whispered.

Franken just smiled before saying, "We don't have to wait until then, Theo. We get to start now." He draped his arm around Theo who grinned back. The two boys then went to crash.

* * *

Sometime during the night Franken woke up to the sound of panting. He rubbed his eyes before sitting up, his eyes quickly growing accustomed to the darkness in the room.

Theo was huddled around his pillow, his knees pulled to his chest. The boy was obviously asleep, and as Franken's eyes grew more accustomed to the darkness he could see the boy's limbs tremble on occasion. Franken sat watching for a long moment, his mind noting how quickly the boy was breathing; how the panting gasps varied in intensity before threatening to break into sobs.

Franken shook his head, sneaking over quietly to the boy's bed. "Theo?" Franken's voice was low- he didn't want to startle the teen that was obviously locked in a nightmare. "Hey, Theo? Are you alright?"

He reached out, his hand alighting gently on Theo's shoulder. Theo's muscles went rigid and Franken almost didn't jerk his hand back in time as the boy's arm transformed into a scythe blade. It cut through the blanket that was covering the boy and shredded the pillow he was clutching.

Franken stumbled back and fell, landing on his butt as Theo thrashed for a moment on the bed before his eyes focused, and he was left staring into the blackness. Franken stood and darted for the light, flicking it on and blinking as he was momentarily blinded. Theo was crouched on his bed, his arm in scythe form in front of him; tears were streaming down the weapon's cheeks.

"Oh no… Franken… did I… I'm so… forgive me…" Theo's voice was broken as a flash of light heralded his arm's return to normal and the weapon sunk to sit on his bed, his legs drawn up against his chest as tears streamed down his face and he lowered his forehead to his knees.

Franken didn't hesitate, he moved to Theo's bed and wrapped his arm around his sobbing weapon. "You didn't hurt me. You were having a nightmare?"

Theo's broken voice spent the next hour recounting the death of his parents and sister to Franken. Franken sat quietly beside his weapon the entire time, though his hand did tighten on Theo's shoulder, and he felt anger well up in him.

Not at Theo, no, but at the fact that Theo's parents had died when help was so close. That unlike his own father's death, Theo's family's was completely avoidable, had they only waited for backup. Recklessness had killed his parents and sister.

He wouldn't let that happen to Theo again- they would be the best weapon-meister team that Shibusen had seen, and they would do it safely; he just had to find a way to make fighting a kishin less of a gamble for a weapon-meister team.

Theo had fallen asleep, leaned up against him while Franken pondered on his new goal, and a while later exhaustion claimed him as well.

* * *

A few hours there was a tentative knock on the door that led to the shared kitchen and the knob turned and opened. Isolde stood framed in the door, her weapon behind her as they peeked in.

"Franken, Theo?" she called into the room, her German accent making the words almost incomprehensible.

They opened the door, and the light fell on the two boys leaning up against each other, both breathing deeply and obviously asleep. Behind her her weapon Agilberta giggled at the fact that red hair was mixing with silver, the two boys' cheeks so close they could almost look like they were kissing.

"It looks like zey are not hungry," Agilberta said, chuckling, "except perhaps for each other!"

"Agilberta, hush!" Isolde demanded. "It ist obvious that zey vere studying, ja? Now come on, let us eat vithout them."

Agilberta just laughed as Isolde shut the door on the two sleeping teens.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry the updates are taking so long. I've had a rough couple weeks, but they should start picking back up. Thank you for your patience!**

**I don't own Soul Eater, but the OCs in this are mine.**


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